Pocket change
PROS AND CONS E-mail may help some people reduce the costs of long-distance communication, but a recent study suggests chats over the phone have a personal touch that e-mail just cannot mimic.

A LOT of possibilities
Gary and Debbie Katcoff found their dream house - or at least the lot - around the corner from their home in Waverly subdivision about eight years ago.

Confection connection
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The little store at the heart of the globe's oldest shopping mall holds the answer to one of the darkest, sweetest gastronomic mysteries: just why is Brussels the chocolate capital of the world?

Unused presents should be returned
Dear Carson: After only eight months of marriage, my husband and I have decided to divorce. How do I handle the return of our wedding gifts?

Pictures of love
In honor of Father's Day, The Augusta Chronicle invited children to draw their dads and send us the pictures. We received 40 entries from children ages 3-16. Here are some of them.
&nbspView the online special

Landmark showcases nature's grandeur
Over the previous two days, we had hiked round-trip from the rim of the Grand Canyon to the bunkhouses of Phantom Ranch more than a mile below on the canyon floor.

Howell wins NCAA golf title
OPELIKA, Ala. -- Augusta's Charles Howell proved he's more skilled with a driver than a microphone as shattered the NCAA men's golf individual championship record, ending four days of flawless golf Saturday at 23-under par to win by eight shots over Houston's Chris Morris.
And to make his week in the Alabama Plains doubly exciting, Howell helped his Oklahoma State Cowboys to a national championship when they won a playoff over Georgia Tech. The tense drama at the Lake Course at Grand National Golf Club ended when Howell tapped in for par at 18 on the first extra hole. Full story -- Augusta Chronicle

Festival fun and informative
Leon Carter brought his two daughters, Rhonda and Joy, to the Augusta Juneteenth Festival on Saturday not only to enjoy the music and food but also for a history lesson. Full story -- Augusta Chronicle

Parade caps off convention
The sounds of fire engines screamed down Broad Street on Saturday as people on the sidewalks turned to see what was going on.
But it wasn't a fire that brought out firefighters from all over the Southeast. It was a parade. Full story -- Augusta Chronicle

Across the area
A Swainsboro man died in a weekend crash after flipping his pickup on a remote road in southeast Emmanuel County.

Candidate to contest decision
Woodrow Fryer doesn't know yet how he's going to do it, but he still plans to be on the ballot when voters choose the next sheriff of Richmond County in November.

Sewage fines hit industry
Industries that dump toxic chemicals and regulated materials into Augusta's wastewater system are paying more than sewer bills this summer.

Sheriff's deputy nabs scaly fugitive
A fork-tongued fugitive was within inches of eluding police Sunday night, but the escape was foiled by the quick hand of a Richmond County sheriff's deputy.

Making tracks
The Augusta Chronicle, the state Department of Transportation and city traffic engineers want to keep Augustans informed about when and where road work is scheduled to occur. An updated list of area road projects for the week appears Sundays in The Chronicle.

Longtime agent heads GBI office
Martin Moses says he's no celebrity.``I'm not famous for anything,'' said Mr. Moses, the newest agent in charge of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation field office in Thomson. ``I've never worked any high-profile cases. I've just been around for 100 years.'

Region's athletes compete
Ricky Jung performs a forward flip for momentum to whip the ball onto the field for a throw-in during a soccer match between his Atlanta squad and a team from Tampa, Fla.

Festival highlights small-town life
TRENTON, S.C. - Straight down a sidewalk shaded by magnolias and just past a row of white picket fences lies the Trenton town park, where residents gathered Saturday for their annual Ridge Peach Festival.

Across the area
Augusta Mayor Bob Young will meet with Broad Street and other merchants at 9:30 a.m. Monday to discuss the city sign ordinance.

Road plan sprouts concern
Transportation officials hope an informal public meeting today will dispel rumors that a pending road-widening project might harm one of Augusta's most popular natural resources.

Merchants, city to discuss sign ban
Augusta's new sign ordinance has triggered so much outrage among business owners from Broad Street to the Burke County line that city officials will give it another look this week.

State body discusses education
ATLANTA - Empty seats and questions about the purpose of the Governor's Education Reform Commission colored four recent days of commission meetings as members considered additional school reforms even though the current school reform won't affect the first pupil for months.

District suffers slow demise
The polished shoes and pressed shirts of black businessmen once filled the Laney-Walker neighborhood. So did the laughter of schoolchildren. There was a bustle along these brick facades, a vibrant pulse to this community.

Baptists' president is intense in beliefs
ATLANTA - Friends of the Snellville preacher recently elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention say he's as intense about sports as he is saving souls, frequently talking about one or the other.

Mother seeks some closure in son's death
Every day, Kathy Porter waits for justice, the pain deepening, burning in that place inside that only a parent whose child has died has the misfortune of knowing.

Commission debates adding chairman seat
For the two years he served as chairman of Columbia County Commission, Jim Whitehead's days started at 5:30 a.m. And they usually ended 14 or 15 hours later.

Few still scrutinized; MCG versus UGA?
Members of the District of Columbia City Council remain concerned that Augusta Fire Chief Ronnie Few, named by D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams to be the D.C. F

NAACP challenged to go positive
I would like to applaud P. Price's June 14 letter concerning the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. These sentiments were right on target.
G. Harison, Augusta

Is video poker history?
Why is South Carolina's Department of Revenue still processing thousands of applications for video poker machine license renewals? It makes no sense. After July 1, video poker will - or at least should be - history.

Teachers, pay attention
The Richmond County School Board made a tough call last week when the case of Hephzibah High School teacher Alphonza Griffin came before it for a decision. But board members made the right call and fired Griffin, who had earlier been accused of sexual misconduct with a student.

Lauds friends who stood by dad
With Father's Day approaching it brings to mind my own father. A few months ago my father was arrested and charged with a terrible crime. Of course these accusations were not true.
Sherri Grizzard Pearson, Clearwater

Weegar's better idea
Sometimes a problem can appear intractable, such as how to bring more business to Augusta Regional Airport at Bush Field at a time when Delta, its chief carrier, is downsizing service. Even if a solution's possible, it can seem to be too expensive or complex to be practical.

Teens need a break in boring city
I'm just one of those typical 17-year-old girls who is desperately trying to find something to do here. There is always those keg parties, but that sure does get old after a while.
Michelle Nosniobr, Martinez

Race relations stepping backward
First the Confederate flag in South Carolina, now Georgia's state flag in Richmond County's school system is targeted by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People because ``some pupils harbor feelings of being left out of history when they see the flag.''Cynthia Mottel, North Augusta

Wide use of vulgar word sickens
Why has the ``F'' word become such a popular everyday term? The word turns my stomach to even hear it.
James M. Lewis, North Augusta

Guard SRS secrets
The U.S. Department of Energy's inspector general concluded the other day what U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., has been complaining about for several months: The loss of Savannah River Site computer disks containing sensitive data is ``a significant security and privacy concern which warrants further review.''

Register today
On July 18 several area counties will have political party primaries, where voters in either the Republican or Democrat parties choose a nominee to be on Georgia's November general election ballot.

Schools need guidance
It was just a year ago that George Jefferson, a retired Allendale math teacher, got mad. ``All hell's going to break loose. They better bring in the National Guard when they come. And I've already told my children they better bring home `Cs,' `Ds' and `Fs' when the state takes over. I better not see an `A' or `B.'''

Vanishing act
``The problem I asked about was three days of e-mails that disappeared and computers crash, and that's wha

Urges sheriff enforce safe car code, noise and speed limits
Why doesn't the Richmond County Sheriff's Department enforce the motor vehicles laws? Everyday you see cars and trucks on the streets of Augusta with missing taillights, headlights, broken and missing windows, bald tires and windows taped over so the driver can't see out and the police can't see in.Joan A. Jackson, Hephzibah

Dreams of larger Augusta airport
I have lived in Atlanta for almost 30 years, but whenever I am asked where I am from, I still say Augusta. I was born there and it will always be home.
Robert D. Fortson, Atlanta

Memorial, Flag days wrongly taught
I agree wholeheartedly with George C. de Baca's June 11 letter: ``Why school uniforms are necessary.'' There are other concerns that today's parents are remiss in teaching their children about.David G. Edmiston Sr., Grovetown

Augusta laws selectively enforced
Re the June 13 article concerning enforcement of Augusta's sign ordinance.Mayor Bob Young said, ``You've got to treat everybody the same. The law applies equally to everyone, and if you want to go around and do selective enforcement you're asking for trouble, and you're building a case that you'll never win in a court in this country.''
Jack Powell, Augusta

Reno revives Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act was passed by Congress in 1850 as part of compromise legislation that included the Missouri Compromise. It provided that a runaway slave had to be returned to its owner.
Allen W. Johnson, Augusta

Moderation needed in dress codes
With regard to Mr. George C. de Baca's June 11 letter on the necessity of school uniforms, I would like to approach his logic from a different angle. First, his ``no-brainer,'' that all teachers and parents wear uniforms in that they do not wear the same clothes to work, the mall or church that they wear around the house.Helen Minchew, Augusta

Williams helping local schools
As the July 18 Republican primary gets closer, negative letters about state Rep. Robin Williams, R-Augusta, are being published. These meandering, whiny letters represent a small, unhappy faction - not the entire district.Ann Stafford, Augusta

Homosexuality is not about rape
I have been following the debate about whether homosexuals should lead Boy Scout troops. The June 8 letter by Sam Fulton saddened me deeply.Megan Hathway, Aiken

Few still scrutinized; MCG versus UGA?
Members of the District of Columbia City Council remain concerned that Augusta Fire Chief Ronnie Few, named by D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams to be the D.C. F

Small-business owners must be heard
As a small-business owner, I recently had the opportunity to participate in the 2000 Congressional Small Business Summit, hosted by the small-business group, National Federation of Independent Businesses, in Washington, D.C.
Lee Muns, Martinez